What we do matters!

1. What we do matters! Social & Emotional Learning In-service 2012 Colleen Meulstee & Tara Strouse

2. When you look at truly effective teachers, you will also find caring, warm, lovable people. ~Albert Camus

3. It is not what is, but what is perceivedthat counts.~Harry Wong

4. A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.~Sir Winston Churchill

5. Most do better when we listen and ask, rather than demand and tell.~Allen Mendler

6. Any genuine teaching will result, if successful, in someone's knowing how to bring about a better condition of things than existed earlier. ~John Dewey

7. Setting an example is not the main means of influencing another, it is the only means. ~Albert Einstein

8. No man can be a good teacher unless he has feelings of warm affection toward his pupils and a genuine desire to impart to them what he himself believes to be of value. ~Bertrand Russell

9. Every time you act, you validate who you are. ~Harry Wong

10. The highest result of education is tolerance. ~Helen Keller

11. The most important knowledge teachers need to do good work is a knowledge of how students are experiencing learning and perceiving their teacher's actions. ~Steven Brookfield

12. The secret of education is respecting the pupil. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

13. I've come to the frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It's my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I possess a tremendous power to make a child's life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or de-humanized. ~HaimGinott

14. What is SEL? • The process of developing social and emotional skills in the context of safe, caring, well-managed, and engaging learning environments • These skills include the ability to: -Recognize and manage emotions -Care about and respect others -Develop positive relationships -Make good decisions

15. Why Teach SEL? • Emotions affect how we learn • Schools are social places---relationships provide the foundation for learning • Effective as a classroom management strategy • Reduces barriers to learning • SEL skills can be taught • Aligns with the academic agenda of schools-has a positive impact on academic performance

16. No one is perfect…but we must strive to recognize that the decisions we make daily deeply impact the lives of our students. How do your words and actions impact your classroom environment and your students? Consider: *use of sarcasm *word choice & decision making when disappointed/upset Students are always watching us…what do you want them to see?

17. The Difference DashA Game Designed for WSD Difference Makers When forming game groups: • Work with individuals from different buildings • Work with individuals from different grade levels • Try to split evenly between the 8 game boards • While playing, keep in mind: • Be open and honest with yourself and your peers, take time to reflect on your experiences and your choices • You will have approximately 30 minutes to play the game

19. Some systems/resources to consider: • 7 Habits • The Leader in Me (Dr. Stephen Covey) • 7 Habits Intro Powerpoint • Video PreviewUseful Website • FISH! Philosophy • FISH! Video • Pretzel Meetings • Pretzel Sheet • Pretzel Notebook • When Teaching Gets Tough (Allen Mendler) • Michael’s Golden Rules (Delores Jordan)

20. Take it with you… Please choose a card from the table and either write a note or reminder to yourself to keep somewhere visible throughout the year for when things get tough… Consider writing: • A quote you liked or one that resonated with you • An idea a peer shared with you throughout the session • A pep talk for yourself for those days when you just “need it” • Something you just want to keep in mind this year